Iran’s Ashkan Dejagah, right, fights for the ball with Bosnia’s Anel Hadzic during the Group F World Cup soccer match between Bosnia and Iran at the Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador, Brazil, on Wednesday. (Marcio Jose Sanchez, The Associated Press)

It happens every four years, and it’s so lame.

Every World Cup brings heightened interest in soccer, but every World Cup we also have to listen to ignorant talk radio guys who don’t get it and think it’s clever to make fun of it.

Spain’s midfielder Koke and Chile’s forward Eduardo Vargas vie during a Group B football match between Spain and Chile in the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 18, 2014. (Christophe Simon, AFP/Getty Images)

For the past six years, Spain has been the world’s best soccer team, winning the World Cup for the first time in 2010 and winning the European Cup in 2008 and 2012.

They did it with flair and creativity, with a beautiful, fluid short passing game. But now their World Cup is as good as over.

La Roja were humiliated 5-1 by the Netherlands in their opening game last Friday, then listlessly fell 2-0 to Chile on Wednesday. They will play Australia on Monday, but they cannot advance to the knockout stage even if they beat the Aussies, who put up a surprisingly good battle Wednesday in a 3-2 loss to the Netherlands.

Portugal’s defender Pepe (2nd R) receives the red card from Serbian referee Milorad Mazic (R) during the Group G football match between Germany and Portugal at the Fonte Nova Arena in Salvador during the 2014 FIFA World Cup on June 16, 2014. (Dimitar Dilkoff, AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. hasn’t even taken the field for its World Cup opening match against Ghana Monday afternoon, but its chances of advancing out of the group stage are looking up after Germany’s domination of Portugal Monday morning.

Germany won 4-0, and given that Germany plays Ghana in its second game, Germany may already have qualified for the knockout stage when it plays the U.S. on June 26. If the U.S needs a result in that game and Germany doesn’t, the U.S. might not face Germany’s best lineup.

The U.S. seems certain to face a depleted Portugal in its second game next Sunday. Defender Pepe was shown a red card after losing his cool and head-butting German striker Thomas Mueller, so he will miss the game against the U.S. Two other Portuguese players, striker Hugo Almeida and defender Fabio Coentrao, left Monday’s game with injuries.

Daniel was first introduced to soccer at age 6 while living in Düsseldorf, West Germany. He played youth soccer in West Germany until age 9, and then in Seattle, where he is originally from. He works as the day breaking news editor and also contributes on the Rapids beat.